The number of wireless devices in use is currently estimated at around 7.9 billion globally and it is expected that it will continue growing to around 11.6 billion by the end of 2020. It is suspected that a long-term exposure to electromagnetic radiation emitted by such wireless devices can have harmful effects on human body. Despite that, their use has become indispensable for our modern life and people will continue to use them more and more extensively.
Proper shielding can help protect against electromagnetic radiation and the resulting harmful effects. Different solutions related to electromagnetic radiation shielding have been developed in this area during the past years. They were designed to shield electromagnetic radiation in the form of a case on the wireless device, by affixing a shielding layer to the garment, as a radiation blocking portable pouch, or through the use of a hands-free device.
For instance, the prior art document US Pub. No. 2014/0130243 A1 to Falken et al. discloses a garment with a sewn-in one-layer pocket which creates a shield between the wearer and a wireless device placed inside the pocket.
Another prior art document US Pub. No. 2012/0047631 A1 to Kohler Connolly discloses a garment outfitted with a liner insert for a pocket to be shielded, said liner insert being attached to the inner side of the pocket either by ironing, applying pressure, stitching, or using Velcro.
However, known prior art electromagnetic radiation protection solutions do not provide the necessary protection in a convenient manner. In particular, the prior art solutions require that an electromagnetic radiation shielding layer be incorporated as a replacement part of a garment (like the inner side of the pocket in US Pub. No. 2014/0130243 A1 to Falken et al.), or as an additional layer to a part of a garment (like the liner in US Pub. No. 2012/0047631 A1 to Kohler Connolly), presenting a means to house a wireless device in a manner that changes the traditional construction of the garment and impairs the convenience of wearing.
The present invention thus aims at providing a solution to the technical problems identified above.